Tree Farms and Pumpkin Patches Feeling the Summer Heat

Mt. Zion - While some evergreen trees at Four E's Tree farm are toughing it out during the current drought, many of the young seedlings aren't faring as well.

Owner Ron Evans says for the second straight year, the lack of rain mixed with scorching temperatures has destroyed his future tree crops.

"We've probably lost 95% of our first seedlings, and probably 50 to 60% of our Scotch and White Pine seedlings. Basically, everything we've planted last year and this year are pretty well gone," says Evans.

"It's not just Christmas tree farm owners that have concerns. Pumpkin patch owners are worried they not see as many of these this year.

Steve Buxton, owner of Buxton Farms in Sullivan, says the hot, dry conditions have crippled many of central Illinois' pumpkin patches this year.

"As well as we want to think that it's going to be all grand, and we can go out and tell a grand story, I think that regionally from the people that I'm familiar with throughout the country, we're going to be in short supply by farms," says Buxton.

Buxton says consumer's will feel the heat this fall as prices for pumpkins go up.

"Everybody's prices will be up if they're having to bring to bring them in because on top of them being in bigger demand for their products, freight will be added on top, which you know and the cost of everything like that goes up," says Buxton.